


Sunshine Against Rain

by chloeh928



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Closure, Holding Hands, I'm Bad At Summaries, Let Sakamoto Ryuji Say Fuck, Love Confessions, M/M, Moving Out, My First AO3 Post, Power Outage, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, about ryuji, and rain kisses, i have a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23571493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chloeh928/pseuds/chloeh928
Summary: Yusuke needs to go back to his old home and get a few things he missed. And he invited Ryuji, for multiple reasons, not including the fact that he was the only one who wasn't busy. Moments are shared, bonds are built, things ensue.
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakamoto Ryuji
Comments: 2
Kudos: 105





	Sunshine Against Rain

“Thank you again for coming.”, Yusuke said, graciously bowing to Ryuji. The blonde waved it off with a casual smile. “It’s fine. Not like I’ve got anything else going on. Besides, this may do you some good. Closure ‘n’ shit, y’know?”, he responded, turning to look at Madarame’s Shack. Yusuke did the same, though with a look of scorn. He hated this place.

“Well, let’s get started. The sooner we get this done, the better.”, he stated, not letting his emotions get the better of him as he walked to the front door and unlocked it with his old key. He paused for a moment, stilling his breath as he processed what was about to happen. Sakamoto held onto his shoulder and gave a reaffirming grip, which Kitagawa was appreciative of. “3...2...1.”, he counted down, pushing open the door. 

The cloud of dirt and dust that welcomed the duo really showed how long it had been since he was last here, as well as the scent of mold from all the summer rain that had been happening. Speaking of which, the forecast claimed that the sunny day would be followed by a storm that evening, so if they wanted to avoid the rain, they needed to get to work soon.

Since the owner was put in prison, and Madarame had put no other person as a caretaker, nor did Yusuke want to contest for such, the property was at high risk of getting reclaimed by the government. So, he had resolved to come back and reclaim everything that he had left behind in his initial packing, and throw away the rest, if not burning it. The former pupil had Ryuji come help, partly because he was the strongest member of the team--Akira was busy, otherwise, he would have come too--and partly because he knew that he needed someone with him here. He didn’t see himself getting much done on his own.

The two walked inside, and Yusuke made a beeline straight for the room with the peacock door. The room that truly had changed his life forever. 

He took one look at the fake Sayuri paintings that littered the room and scoffed in disgust. None of them held so much as a match, let alone a candle to the true one. On instinct, he grabbed the paintings on the shelves and threw them against the ground, stomping on them as he moved to the other shelf to follow suit, not caring about the damage he’s causing. Ryuji stood at the doorway, looking at him in strange awe. He shot up straight, reclaiming his composure and muttering an apology. As he did so, Ryuji just walked forward, patted his shoulder, and grabbed the painting that stood boldly on the canvas, as if claiming itself the original. The blonde just gave a little snicker as he took a look at it, grabbing the painting and holding it out towards Yusuke. 

“Punch it.”, he instructed, peering his head out with a wide, energetic grin. “Wh-what?”, the artist stammered, looking at his friend in confusion. “Punch it. You know you wanna.”, he teased, waving it side to side like a matador. The disgusting image taunted him, made his anger boil up, and Yusuke found himself snarling at it, throwing a hard fist into the paper. The rip that destroyed the canvas was satisfying, arguably the most satisfying thing he’s ever heard. “Do it again!”, Ryuji prompted him, cheering out when he sent another to a corner of the painting. “C’mon, Fox, that all you got?!”, the blond cheered on.

He grabbed the sharpest thing he could find nearby and swung it at the wooden frame, which snapped in two under the weapon. Sakamoto threw down the remains and cheered excitedly at his friend, who paused to calm down before laughing as he released the adrenaline. The two gave a little laugh as the energy calmed down, breaking the tension that was there. Maybe it was better that Ryuji was the only one there with him. The blond was essentially the only person who could get him to lose his composure like this. And he would never judge.

“So, where’s your room?”, said boy asked, peering into the hall. Yusuke casually dropped the weapon and led the way to a door on the second floor. The only one that did not have a lock in that area. The door had no decorations, no indication that it was ever actually  _ his _ bedroom. 

Possibly because it wasn’t, and it was never going to be. If he had run out of merit and was thrown out, then some other innocent, unsuspecting, talented child would just take his place. He realized that now.

The door slid open, and the familiar atmosphere filled his heart. He sighed in a nostalgic sort of relief, finally back to his composed self as he guided Ryuji in.

The room itself had little to no decorations, and anything that was there could simply be ripped off. It was a very simple Japanese-style arrangement, with a futon folded up neatly in the corner, a couple of art-theory books neatly lined up on a two-story bookshelf and a small set of drawers. The closet was already empty, as were a couple of the drawers. The only thing left in those was...wait. “Ryuji, don’t-”, he tried to speak up, before finding out it was too late.

“Dude.”, Ryuji breathed out as he picked up the pictures and flipped through them. Ah, so this is the feeling known as “internal screaming”. Yusuke found himself hating it. “Wait, did you sketch these yourself?” the blond asked, looking down at the graphically erotic sketches. 

The artist groaned loudly, quickly reaching for the papers. “I was desperate! We never had a computer, and it’s not like I could go out and buy anything!”, he tried to defend as Ryuji held them away, smiling and laughing. Not finding the scenario as amusing, he chased his companion around the room before finally he cornered the thief. Kitagawa nearly slammed his palm against the wall, creating a loud ‘bang’ that finally seemed to shut Ryuji’s giggling fit up. 

“Give it.”, he growled as he loomed over the teen. As quickly as it came, the cocky, confident grin went away and was replaced with a red flush and wide eyes as Ryuji shakily handed him the papers. Yusuke snatched them, quickly turning away to hide his blush. Of course, that was the first thing that Ryuji went towards: the object that would embarrass him the most. 

The various closet doors throughout the house, one by one, were opened, and the boxes were unpacked. It was a really good thing he had someone here because his trip down memory lane constantly got him off task. (“Oh my gosh.”, he breathed out at the sight of a little pink blanket that helped him through sleepless nights as a toddler. “I’m taking this. No negotiation.”, he demanded with a defensive glare, holding it close. “Ok dude.”, his friend conceded, clearly amused at his insistence.) (“So this is where it was.”, the student mumbled as he saw his old teacher’s belt hanging at the end of the table. “We meet again, old friend.”, he grumbled, holding it away from him as if it would suddenly become sentient and try to bite him. Ryuji, the loyal and amazing friend he is, quickly took it out of his hands and threw it into the ‘burn’ pile. The understanding that they had for each other was unprecedented at that moment.) (“Hip-hop? Really?”, Sakamoto asked as he inspected the CDs that were hidden under a wooden panel. “What’s wrong with it?”, Yusuke asked, trying to hide his offense. “Nothing, just...not what I figured you’d be into.”, he mumbled, turning his gaze back with a small smile. “This is a really good album.”, was the last thing he said before handing it back.)

As the day went on, the July sun began to brazen down on the city even more, which, when combined with the humidity, made the day seem to move slower than ever. Eventually, Ryuji had to take off his shirt because it was so drenched in sweat, putting it on top of an unfinished box. His lightly-tanned skin almost seemed to glisten with sweat, giving a shine to the muscles that he had been building up as a Phantom Thief. Kitagawa found himself thinking of statues of old Greek heroes when he looked at Ryuji like this. Prometheus, perhaps. The titan who stole back the sun.

Yusuke had to coax himself into doing the following his lead, because it would be more comfortable to move his items around, and tried not to shudder at the touch of his friend gently running a finger down his barren spine in surprise, feeling how little muscle there was between the bone and skin. He was better now, but his teacher’s “discipline” had left his marks. Chances are they always would.

Clouds began to cover the burning sun as they continued to work into the day, offering a light cooling and building humidity. It wasn’t until the clouds began turning darker that there was any indication of time passing by, or that it was getting late. They ended up only having to pack a couple of boxes so that Yusuke could take it into the dorms; everything else was either destroyed or in a pile by the furnace to be destroyed. The two had grabbed a quick dinner at a nearby convenience store, quietly eating at the entryway when they heard a low, rumbling thunder and saw droplets of rain begin to fall against the concrete. 

“Moving’s gonna have to wait, I guess.”, Ryuji muttered as he got up and walked back inside. Yusuke followed, silently wondering if they had gotten rid of the bowls yet. This place was practically infamous for its leaking; it’s honestly a miracle the wood they’ve been stepping on hasn’t completely rotted yet.

The storm quickly escalated, turning from a gentle patter of rain to almost pounding against the rooftop. Flashes of lightning were visible from the window, and the rolling thunder was so loud one might think that Zeus himself was sitting on the rooftop. Not too long later, due to the size of the storm and the poor electrical maintenance, the power cut off throughout the building.

“Ryuji?”, Yusuke called out to the darkness, almost in a whimper as he glanced around nervously. A rumbling boom of thunder rolled through the sky. It was too loud. It was too dark. “Ryuji?!”, he asked again, now downright panicking. “Right here, man.”, the familiar voice got his attention, grabbing onto his arm and giving it a tight squeeze. Kitagawa wrapped his arms around his friend’s chest, pulling him into a tight hug. “Right here.”, Sakamoto reassured in a lower voice, returning the embrace. 

Slowly, the blonde guided him into the house, sitting down against the wall, and never trying to let go. Which he would have questioned in any other circumstance, but right now, he was just thankful for the comforting warmth. Every time the thunder got too close, too loud, the frightened teen held on a little tighter. “Ryuji, talk about something.”, he instructed in a pained whisper. “Like what?”, was the response, just as quiet. “Anything. I don’t care.”

“...I ever tell you about the time I tried to be a graffiti artist?”, he started expectantly. Yusuke breathed out a little bit of a chuckle, already looking forward to the story. “No, don’t think I’ve heard that one.”, he responded, trying to get the fear in his voice subsided. “Well, I should have known that it would be a bad idea from the very beginning.”, he started with a little smile that grew when he heard Yusuke give a small, light laugh. It wasn't every day someone could get the boy to laugh, but when Ryuji could, he loved the sound of it every time.

As he told the story, Yusuke found himself calming down significantly, loosening his grip around the other boy. When he laughed, it became more and more vocal, drowning out whatever was outside. Because for a short time, it was just him and Ryuji, holding each other while the latter talked about his poor attempt at illegal art in the most expressive, most vibrant way possible. He didn’t even need lights anymore. He had the brightest one in his arms.

With all the fear gone, the two boys found themselves enjoying each other’s company like this, sitting against the wall with one of their arms slung around each other's shoulders and their hands brushing against each other before Ryuji slowly took Yusuke’s hand and intertwined his fingers. It just felt so right, being so close, so relaxed, and--

“I want to kiss you.”, he blurted, his expression showing he surprised himself just as much as Yusuke. They pulled apart for a moment, locking eyes in the dark. Once Yusuke’s breath could be felt on his skin, Ryuji moved further back, interrupting with, “But--” The word was enough to make Kitagawa move away, giving his friend enough room to speak. 

“I don’t want to do it here. Not in a place that gives you so many bad memories. I want to hold you, like this, for ages, and I want us to spend more time together like this, where it’s just the two of us. And I really, really want to properly confess to you, but I don’t want to do it...here. I want it to be at a place where we can associate it with happy memories. You get what I mean?”, he explained almost in a ramble as he set his head on the other’s shoulder. “I do.”, Kitagawa quietly answered, putting his own head over Ryuji’s, hoping that he couldn’t see the dark blush on his face. “In fact, I feel the same.”

The power flickered back on almost immediately after, the two glanced up but neither of them moved from where they were. They just sat there, holding each other in a content quiet for what felt like hours as the storm outside settled. When the sound of rain tapping on the roof finally quieted, Ryuji got up and pulled up Yusuke with him. “Let’s get your stuff.”, he suggested, walking back towards the taped boxes. The artist just nodded and moved with him, grabbing a box and following him back to the station.

The storm had lightened up significantly, becoming the gentle rain that they had seen in the beginning. It hardly bothered the two young men as they continued their trek under the shelter of as many covers as they could find. On their walk, they passed by an open park, where the rain was hardly a little heavier than a sprinkle. It was there that the blond took a deep breath, adjusted his grip, plucked a nearby flower, and moved in front of Yusuke, eyes lit up with determination, though his expression was timid.

“I love you.”, he admitted with a soft smile, looking at Yusuke in the gentle rain. A couple of droplets had caught in the royal blue hair, the sparkle in the moonlight giving him this sort of out-of-this-world look, like he was an alien or something. Ryuji found himself liking this more than expected. This world was a piece of shit; the thought of it producing someone like Yusuke “Fox” Kitagawa was a little unnerving to him. 

There was a tenderness in Sakamoto’s voice as he spoke; he wasn’t used to being this vulnerable. “So much. I love watching you do anything, even if it’s just as mundane as eating. I love listening to you; I could hear you talk about anything for hours, even if I have no idea what you’re talking about. I love the fire you get in your eyes when you’re passionate about something. I love when you visibly light up when talking about those things.”, he rambled, confidence continuously rising and falling as he proceeded to speak. “I wish, sometimes, that I could see you talk about me that way.”, he muttered, holding out the flower as he looked away.

Yusuke took the flower in his hands, inspected it, before placing it behind his ear for safekeeping. “I love you, too, Ryuji. I love the energy you always carry. You so much as walk in a room and the atmosphere brightens up, just a little. Ten times more if you walk in with a smile.”, he listlessly described, staring off in thought with his gaze turned towards the other. “I love your passion for anything and everything. I love your brutal, refreshing honesty. You’re never afraid to speak your mind when everyone else would be.” As he continued, he caught a warm red travel up the neck and across the blond’s face, all the way up to the tips of his ears. “I love...seeing you like this. I’m so happy I’m able to. I wish I could do it more.”, he thought aloud as he watched Ryuji’s expression shift from sheepishness to joy. 

The two locked eyes, staring into the window of each other's souls. While Yusuke could find himself getting lost in the many emotions on display, Ryuji leaned in so that their lips would meet, giving him a lingering kiss. “I wouldn’t be against that.”, he muttered before slowly pulling away, a smile heard in his voice. Kitagawa nearly shivered in the tingle it sent down his spine.

The two carried the boxes back to the dormitories, simply enjoying the time that they had together. It was so late that they had to sneak through the back to even get in. The goodbye was far too short for either of their liking, but it wasn’t like they weren’t going to see each other later. Besides, Ryuji had to get home to his mother. 

While unpacking, he spotted a red cloth sticking out of a box that was not his own. His face turned red as he picked up Ryuji’s shirt and inspected it, gently brushing a thumb against the cotton material as a fond smile broke through. That night, Yusuke fell asleep holding the bright red fabric close, dreaming of a storm where rain gently fell while the sun shined through. 


End file.
